NYC identifies 8 cases of Legionnaires’ in 1 neighborhood

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City health officials are investigating a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease cases in one Manhattan neighborhood.

The city Health Department said Wednesday that eight people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ in the lower Washington Heights area in the last week. No deaths have been reported.

The Health Department is testing water from all cooling tower systems in the area of the cluster and will hold a community meeting at a church on Thursday.

Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia contracted by breathing in water droplets contaminated with the bacterium Legionella. Most cases can be traced to plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for Legionella growth.

The disease isn’t passed from one person to another. Symptoms can include fever, chills and muscle aches.